


I Went Down, Down, Down (the Flames Went Higher)

by northpeach, wolfsrainrules



Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Betrayal, Bleach hellverse - Freeform, Found Family, Gen, Ichigo basically being himself, Ichigo is about to change EVERYTHING, Ichigo is the one protected for once, Isshin’s A+ Parenting, Jii-san is a proud Jii-san, Kurosaki Isshin is a bad father, Lingering trauma, Oops, PTSD, Parental Old Man Zangetsu, Parental Urahara, Post Ginjo Arc, Protect, Regaining Shinigami Powers, Shiba Isshin is a shit father, Time Travel, Turn Back the Pendulum Arc, Unwilling memory modification (mentioned), Urahara doesn’t, Urahara is a better father than Kurosaki Isshin and Ishida Ryuuken, Urahara tried- and mostly succeeded- to make up for it, Watch Your Step, Zangetsu is a better father, also, because all the things Ichigo says are absolutely true, because losing pieces of your soul is very traumatic, besides to be more protective himself, chosen family, did he destroy his timeline, except Ichigo’s, he has NO IDEA how to handle it, his nonexistent parenting skills, make a new one, oh well, post Winter War trauma, s many misunderstandings that Ichigo has no idea are there, so nothing ever goes to plan, split a new one off of the original, that’s okay he gets more family out of it, the Dangai is dangerous, the context puts a different meaning on it, the hell verse, which is to say, which to be honest is usually just, who knows - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-08
Updated: 2019-01-03
Packaged: 2019-07-27 23:51:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16229876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/northpeach/pseuds/northpeach, https://archiveofourown.org/users/wolfsrainrules/pseuds/wolfsrainrules
Summary: When Ichigo coughed, he felt the familiar taste of iron slip from his lips. He inwardly cursed, both at his injuries and at the weak voices he couldn't make out. He shouldn’t have let his guard down, just because Ginjo and Xcution was dealt with. The Dangai was always dangerous. He shouldn’t have forgotten that. A brush of reiatsu and something moved in his vision- gray and purple. Ichigo pried his eyes open, catching a glimpse of a familiar face.“Jii-san.”Yamamoto Genryuusai placed a gentle hand on his face and Ichigo leaned into it, allowing the darkness to overtake his vision.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Dragon Eclipse](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4900900) by [Akaluan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akaluan/pseuds/Akaluan). 



> Oops, I did it again.  
> A thousand thanks for wolfsrainrules for helping me with this even though they're not in the Bleach fandom. And another thousand thanks to akaluan for both inspiring this with her Dragon Eclipse and for helping with actually getting this fic off the ground.  
> I hope y'all enjoy!

_ “/I am not actually your zanpakuto./” -  _ Zanpakuto talking outside.

_ :But I’m still a better father than Isshin.: -  _ Zanpakuto talking inside.

* * *

 

It was still dark when Ichigo returned home, his sisters in his arms. He said brief goodbyes to his friends, told them to go home and sleep. We’ll catch up tomorrow, he said. Ichigo goes through all the motions automatically. Wake the girls briefly to change into pajamas, soothe their confused and panicked reactions and tuck them all beneath the covers. He brushes a kiss over their foreheads and heads to his own room.

The moon is shining through his window. The world lives again. His vision grays out and sounds fades until all he hears is the faint ringing of bells.

Ichigo is sitting on his bedroom floor, shaking uncontrollably at the familiar soothing voice of Old Man Zangetsu echoing in the no longer empty abyss of his soul. His eyes were wet and with a flare of reiatsu he had given up hope would ever be returned ( _ it  _ was _ though, it  _ was) the Old Man manifested by his side in a rustle of constantly shifting fabric. The noise he made wasn’t quite a sob, more of a sound of overwhelming relief as thin arms wrapped about his shoulders and drew him into Zangetsu’s darkly red cloak.

“/ _ Ichigo./” _

His hands were fisted in the flowing material, his face buried in the hollow of the Old Man’s shoulder and he could do nothing but tremble and gasp for breath, unable to even voice the complicated surges of emotion he felt.

After a moment or two, of Zangetsu holding onto him just as tightly as he was, Ichigo managed to speak around the lump in his throat.

“I’m  _ sorry.  _ Zangetsu,  _ I’m so sorry.  _ ” His voice was hoarse and faint, but apparently loud enough for his zanpakuto to hear.

The arms around him clenched briefly, before a hand slid into his hair and lightly tugged. Ichigo resisted for a moment, drawing a deep breath, before lifting his gaze to meet the equally wet eyes of Zangetsu.

“/ _ All I wanted, Ichigo, was to protect you,/”  _ the old man says like it  _ hurts  _ , as amber eyes slide shut and the zanpakuto leans forward to rest his forehead against his wielder.  _ “/I failed you, Ichigo, I _ failed  _ to  _ protect you.  _ /”. _

Ichigo tries to  _ say  _ something, anything along the lines of ‘  _ my choice, my decision’  _ but the words won’t come even as more tears slip over his cheeks. Zangetsu is crying, silently and with barely a hitch in his breath, but he’s crying all the same. Emotion bleeds into the air, saturated by his newly restored reiatsu. He can  _ feel- _

It’s too much. It’s all too much. It’s as if someone is exerting an enormous amount of reiatsu around him because it’s getting harder to breath. All of this-  _ it’s too much. _

Zangetsu pulls him as close as he physically can get, half crouched over him as if to physically shield his wielder from anything that would threaten him, even as the sounds of wheezing breaths fill the room. Ichigo is pressed farther into the warmth that is provided, into the comfort that the old man provides without hesitation. His thoughts run in circles, the crimson of blood, the blue of the blade that skewered his chest, the green of a Fullbringer’s power- memories front and center in his mind.

Seventeen months in which goat-face ignored every hint of something other than their normal lives, normal routine. Seventeen months in which his friends altered between sticking close, making sure he wasn’t alone, and disappearing for weeks on end only to slowly return to his side. Seventeen months in which not a _ single Shinigami  _ could find a  _ simple gigai  _ to drop by  _ for a visit.  _ Not Urahara-san, not Rukia, Renji-  _ no one. _

Then suddenly, there’s Ginjo and Xcution and things were happening again and  _ Ishida- Uryuu was cut down  _ and Ichigo  _ couldn’t do anything.  _ He should have  _ seen it.  _ He should have  _ known  _ . It was all a trap, for someone else to take one more thing from him and then-

And then-

Tsukishima.

The manipulation of almost everyone’s memories. Chad. Tatsuki. Orihime,  _ Yuzu, Karin.  _ And then the sword in his chest and goat-face and Urahara-san standing by. Getaboushi wouldn’t meet his eyes. He recognized the guilt on his face, in the way he stood and how his hat cast shadows over his eyes.

Goat-face had stared at him, expression as serious as it had been that fateful day. He was clad in a shihakusho,  _ Shinigami  _ , like he had any right to be there, like he  _ belonged there  _ . Another betrayal, more lies, omissions and secrets no one thinks  _ necessary  _ to share.

That’s when something within him breaks, quietly and so easily it barely registers as something else that hurts among all the other betrayals. At that point he might not have even  _ cared. _

But then the air shimmered, from nothingness into familiar violet eyes, a mess of dark hair framing a pale, gently smiling face. His heart stuttered in his chest even as Rukia speaks and the world lights up around him. Colors had bled back into his world and already Zangetsu was as he was- a strong, steady _thrum_ of _presence,_ whispering of _pride, relief_ , _joy, Ichigo,_ ** _Ichigo_** filling the corners of his soul once more.

It ended as it always did. Some came, all left, and even Urahara only lingered momentarily before he vanished into the darkness. It’s easily to remind himself, in the midst of everything, to see Urahara-san as soon as he can. Getaboushi might play the fool well enough, but Ichigo knows exactly how that man wears guilt. There was familiarity between them- Isshin and Urahara-san. More of goat-face’s secrets that he hasn’t bothered to tell.

Ichigo knows damn well most of those secrets, if not  _ all  _ , are about  _ him  _ , concerning  _ him  _ . But then, he doesn’t expect much. Goat-face was the type to pretend nothing was wrong rather than admit danger was coming and information needed to be shared so his  _ children  _ didn’t all  _ die. _

( _ Like Mom, like Orihime’s brother, like the Hollow that began all of this, like everything that almost killed Yuzu and Karin-) _

He’s never asked if the reasons why his friends oscillate between  _ there  _ and  _ not there  _ is because goat-face tells them to stay away. He knows they don’t know what to do, knows that when Uryuu lost his powers, the Quincy basically vanished until he regained them. But Ichigo doesn’t vanish. He stays. The desk stays  _ his,  _ he doesn’t move. Chad is behind him, Orihime to his right and Uryuu sits in front. But some days, it’s as if there’s something that stands in between all of them.

It hurts, but he endures it because he knows that Ishida goes out of his way just to pass by his house for absolutely no reason other than to see all is well. Chad will move into his shadow and  _ stay  _ , sometimes carefully discussing the recent Hollows that appear and how Soul Society is keeping their distance. Orihime will blow into his personal space, Tatsuki on her steps, a cheerful whirlwind, shoving a bento in his hands and chatting a mile a minute. Keigo is much the same, Mizuiro a calming presence and ever present smile.

It’s the little things that he holds on to, these bits of Uryuu, of Chad, Orihime and Tatsuki, of Mizuiro and Keigo that show that they still care. If he needs them, he knows they’ll  _ be there.  _ He’s never doubted that. If he really needed it, if he  _ asked  _ , he knew there would be a lot of people lining up to do  _ anything. _

The Old Man came without being asked. He always did.

( _ -he didn’t know where his Hollow was. There was no answer to his calls.) _

Eventually, the tension seeps out of his frame and Ichigo’s eyes began to flutter. He’s exhausted. Zangetsu is a warm and steady presence and he can feel his sister’s in their rooms just across the hall. Goat-face isn’t in the house and Ichigo doesn’t care to exert the effort it would take to search for him. It’s not like he familiar with the man’s reiatsu anyway.

A deep breath, a slow exhale and as the Old Man’s arms loosen their grip, Ichigo looks up into eyes that, for once, aren’t obscured by sunglasses. His mouth opens, but once again the words stick in his throat. Zangetsu shifts, and he cannot help the instinctual tightening of his grap on his spirit’s body. But then, the comforter is tugged off his bed and tucked around their bodies and his zanpakuto is leaning back to settle into a more sleep friendly position.

_ “/Do not worry, Ichigo. I will stay. Sleep./” _

He stares for a moment longer. Slowly, he tucks his head in the hollow of Zangetsu’s shoulder and the Old Man spreads and layers his reiatsu into the space they occupy. A breath, two, three-

Sleeps comes far more easily that it has in a long, long time.

* * *

 

When Ichigo wakes, Zangetsu was still there and goat-face’s reiatsu is still absent. But his sisters are up and moving, so he uncurls from Zangetsu’s embrace and gets to his feet. His body shifts and stretches, working out the kinks from sore muscles as Zangetsu gathers himself and stands. There’s a moment of silence before the Old Man’s lips quirk.

“ _ /You’ve grown taller, Ichigo./” _

The very visible pride and affection in the Old Man’s gaze made his cheeks burn and a flare of pleasure curl in his chest. Still, he smiles and lets his own feelings color his tone.

“Do you think I’ll be as tall as you someday, Old Man?”

“ _ /Perhaps./” _

In a swirl of  reds and blacks, Zangetsu returned to Ichigo’s inner world and he left his room to greet his sisters. Goat-face would probably be out for some time yet, hopefully. Then, he could go visit his friends. He could feel their reiatsu, excitement and happiness fluttering on his senses and that in turn brought an easy smile to his face.

He had no idea how much emotion, meaning and depth he projected and gleaned from other’s reiatsu until he faded away bit by bit. Judging by the odd expressions his friends made during their hovering phases, they were just unaware of such a thing before it smacked them in their faces. Kami-sama knows all of them were basically self taught. What few things they learned from others, didn’t go into depth about their powers.

Ichigo had only trained with Getaboushi for ten days after all. There was very little talking during that, mostly it consisted of Ichigo fighting for his life. His time with Yoruichi was even shorter, at only three days.

Regardless, as he sat down to eat breakfast with his sisters, he couldn’t help the small but genuine smile that lifted his lips. Karin and Yuzu definitely noticed his lightened mood as the latter beamed back and even the former smirked in satisfaction at how much better their Ichi-nii looked. The events of yesterday were more like a bad dream than anything else.

When he finished, there was a swirl of familiar Hollow-tinged reiatsu just outside the front door. He hurried to put his dishes away, pausing long enough to drop a hand on both Yuzu and Karin’s heads and was quickly out the door, calling out behind him, “ _ Itterasshai!” _

Chad stood on the street, a smile on his face as Ichigo came out to meet him, his own reiatsu rising to acknowledge the way Sado’s curled brushes against his own presence. They set out towards Karakura High.

Everyone was waiting for him.

* * *

 

Beyond the walk to school, in which both Ichigo and Chad were perfectly fine communicating only through reiatsu, there wasn’t any time to spent with anyone. They all sat through class, somehow managing to keep most of their attention on the teacher. Even if Orihime turned to randomly beam at everyone every time she felt a spike or a flutter in Ichigo’s reiatsu.

When lunch rolled around, everyone in their in-the-know group headed straight for the roof. There was a tense silence hanging over them. The events of last night were still fresh in their minds and everyone seemed reluctant to break the tension. The past seventeen months were hard on all of them. Tsukishima screwing with all their memories and the apparent betrayal of his friends and family had stressed and almost broken the bonds between them, but even though things weren’t quite back to normal, Ichigo still revealed in the presence of Uryuu, of Orihime, Chad, Tatsuki and of Keigo and Mizuiro.

He heaved a sigh and and reach a hand up to the back of his head.

“Honestly, you guys, if you have a problem, you can at least  _ say it-  _ ”

“ _ No!” _

Ichigo stumbled back, eyes wide at the shout from everyone. He glanced at his side. Chad hadn’t spoken, but there was something like shame on his face. He switched his gaze back. Uryuu was pushing up his glasses and drawing back into himself while Orihime’s eyes dropped to the ground. Tatsuki was wavering between anger and some other emotion Ichigo didn’t want to even touch.

There was something like shame and regret in all their faces.

Ichigo’s face softened and his tone was quiet.

“You guys, it’s not your fault-”

“How can you  _ say that?  _ ”

Ishida burst out, frustration and anger in his voice. He took a sharp step forward, gesturing violently towards nothing in particular.

“Ishida-kun,” Orihime stepped forward, hand lifting, before she dropped it. There was understanding in her expression.

“They manipulated you to fight for them! Then and now! They were monitoring you, making sure you were kept in line and when you did your best and solving  _ their  _ problems and fixed  _ their  _ messes and  _ gave up your reiatsu  _ , they threw you away!”

Chad raised his arm, speaking loudly enough to be hear clearly, even if it was only a quick warning.

“Ishida-”

The Quincy slashed his hand through the air.

“ _ No  _ , it was  _ all of us!  _ Kurosaki-sensei told us to stay away, to give Kurosaki  _ space  _ and we did and whenever we decided that enough was enough, we tried to fix back in and he always came back to tell us again, to  _ stay away from Ichigo.  _ All of us saw he was miserable! Yet,  _ why did we listen to him?!” _

Ichigo grit his teeth. He suspected goat-face had something to do with his friend’s weird behavior. He didn’t have any proof, just a suspicion and to hear it  _ confirmed.  _ What right did goat-face even have to insert himself into situations where he was neither wanted nor needed?

Ishida was still speaking though.

“Urahara-san, the Visored,  _ Shinigami!  _ Everyone stayed away! You-”

“Ishida, enough.”

Uryuu’s breath stuttered, at Ichigo’s calm interruption. He made a distinctly irritated noise and pushed up his glasses.

“He’s right, Kurosaki-kun,” Orihime interjected, her troubled gaze rising to meet Ichigo’s eyes. “I ran into Kurosaki-sensei at the grocery store a couple days before your reitastu completely disappeared. He told me not to bother you with Hollows, or Shinigami or the like after- after. He insisted that you needed space to come to terms and let things go so I shouldn’t…”

Her voice trailed off as Ichigo’s face grew dark. Brown eyes slid over to Sado, Tatsuki, Keigo and Mizuiro.

“Did all of you mysteriously run into goat-face and get the same speech?”

There were affirmations from all those gathered and Ichigo scowled.

“That bastard had no right to interfere,” he bit out viciously, “Honestly, who does he think he is?”

“To be honest, we all saw him as a Shinigami so we figured he was like you. That he lost his powers and that he really did know best and he was trying to help,” Tatsuki explained, before she brought up her fists. “If I had known differently, I would have broken his jaw. Sorry.”

Chad made a sound of agreement, the noise rumbling in his chest.

Ichigo sighed, his posture loosening.

“It doesn’t matter now. It’s in the past. Remember to ask me things concerning me, next time.”

“I’m sorry, Kurosaki-kun.”

“It’s as Inoue-san says. We made a mistake we won’t be repeating, Kurosaki.”

Ichigo huffed, an amused smirk chasing away the last of the darkness on his features.

“Can we sit down and eat lunch now? I forgot how much more you had to eat when you used reiatsu.”

The atmosphere settled into something light and happy with such a discussion now over and done with. Conversation shifted into areas they were more comfortable with, such as their past adventures, any interesting Hollows and how Ichigo's reiatsu was still leaking all over the place. Orihime proudly proclaimed her abilities had greatly improved, as both Ishida and Chad confirmed the same. There was an ease in their interactions that had been missing for the past seventeen months. In the middle of coaxing a smile out of Uryuu, Ichigo paused as a familiar presence brushed up against the edges of his senses. Noticing the stutter in his motions, Chad tilted his head over in curiosity.

“Ichigo?”

“Ah. Nothing."

Ichigo's gazed out into the distance, as the wind ruffled his hair.

"I just remembered I needed to talk with Getaboushi about something.”

_ And jii-san too. _


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is ALWAYS three or four in the morning when we get to those fics we haven't touched in a while. Why are we like this.

There was only a single Hollow attack, one that occured five minutes after classes let out. Ichigo found himself running through the halls, as they parted from Tatsuki, Mizuiro and Keigo, with Chad, Ishida and Inoue by his side as they headed out to deal with it. They had already made plans with the others of their group to meet up after school and thus there was no need for them to linger. Inoue easily offered her home to them and Tatsuki volunteered to bring food with Mizuiro speaking up to tease that he would surely bring something special to celebrate.

Once they encountered the Hollow, Ichigo paused, his fingers curling around his _combat pass._ He needed to talk with- well, there were several people he needed to speak to. He forcibly returned his attention to the present, just in time to see the Hollow step in front of them. Ishida and Chad only slid to a stop, neither made a motion. Ichigo paused as well, watching as Orihime took a step forward and struck down the corrupted soul, entirely on her own with a single call of - “ _Koten Zanshun!”_ \- and disintegrated the Hollow in a shower of golden light.

Ichigo turned to look at her as her fairies returned to her hairpin. There was no hesitation in that strike, nothing but a resolve to a swift end. She looked strong. Confident and sure of herself in a way he had only rarely seen. He felt the lines on his face ease as a smile tugged his lips upwards. Orihime turned, her eyes widening as she caught sight of him.

“Inoue, you’ve really gotten stronger,” Ichigo said, affection lining his tone as he basked in the combined reiatsu of his comrades.

Even if, in the darkened corners of his heart, a voice whispered- _they’re only like this because of_ **_you_ ** \- he ignored it. Because they made their own choices and Ichigo respected that. He wanted to get stronger to protect those he cared about and his friends had reasons of their own. Their power was sleeping and when they needed it, they _called._

_“Orihime!”_

Ichigo startled, thoughts scattering and smiling slipping from his face as he stared at her as red infused her cheeks and Orihime quickly waved her hands, as if to reassure him of something. She made a noise, half frustration and half exasperation.

“We- all of us have been through a lot together, Kuro- Ichigo-kun,” Orihime said, voice soft and eyes dark with memories. “We’ve all suffered, fought and endured mostly by each other’s sides, so- so call me Orihime.”

In a whirl of bright auburn hair, Inoue spun on the balls of her feet, leveling an intent gaze as both Ishida and Chad.

“You two as well. You’ve both saved my life, you both came to rescue me. You suffered for me, and I for you. So call me by my name.”

Orihime turned back to face Ichigo, still standing with surprise painted on his face, before he nodded at the sight of her determination and resolve. A brilliant smile spread over her face.

“Orihime,” he said decisively.

The happiness that lit her face made something in his chest ease. The past fifteen months of nightmares and problems that arose from their battles had lingered over all their heads. It felt like it was finally over, that everything was going to be back to normal in a way that it had never really managed to before. When Ichigo lacked his reiatsu.

He could help the amusement that lead to him turning on his heel and begin to walk away, not even pausing as he tossed over his shoulder-

“Yo, Uryuu, Chad, let’s get going.

Ishida’s sharp inhalation was audible, as was the startled flare of his reiatsu, but Ichigo shifted his head to lock gazes with the Quincy, and the other faltered at the look in his eyes.

“Uryuu,” Ichigo repeated, exasperation, gratitude and fondness clear in his tone.

Ishida looked away, a blush staining his cheeks, swiftly pushing up his glasses, but even as Orihime giggled and Ichigo stepped forward, they all fell into familiar positions by his side. He caught Chad’s barely there smile, felt the way all of their presences curled around them, _together._

He didn’t press when Uryuu didn’t say anything more. Not ‘ _Ichigo’_ but neither his usual ‘ _Kurosaki’_. He wasn’t bothered. It was implied right now, but if the Quincy needed clarification, a verbal request, then Ichigo wouldn’t hesitate to give him one.

Nearly two years since they had been together as a group. Ichigo could wait a bit longer for the last of Uryuu’s walls to crumble.

As Ichigo turned his feet towards Inoue’s house, where he could already feel Tatsuki, Mizuiro and Keigo, he revealed in the affectionate look on Chad’s face, the brilliance of Orihime’s beaming smile and the way Uryuu’s reiatsu curled around all of them, flickering with quiet joy.

He would not lose them so easily, not to their own well meaning intentions, not to manipulation from people who thought they had any say in his life, nor to those who would tear them apart for their ignorance and prejudice.

As the sun sunk lower into the horizon, Ichigo was perfectly content to harass everyone into staying the night at Orihime’s, the seven of them sprawling on her living room floor with blankets, pillows. He lay in their healer’s tiny apartment, surrounded by the peacefully sleeping presences of his comrades and felt tears well in his eyes. It felt as though he could properly breathe after so many long months of half breaths and the emptiness that followed him every waking second.

Even though he slept deeper then he had managed to in some time, he still woke, alert and tense, ready to spring up at a moment’s notice, when a sound pulled him into the waking world. Stifled cries, sharp intakes and small pained noises that marked the nightmares that disturbed the tranquility and calm.

It didn’t take much to quiet the subconscious fears and memories dripping with blood and ringing with screams, as the instant someone woke and registered the feel of those around them, they slipped back into sleep, reassured within seconds.

Ichigo was often reminded of in the months after losing his spiritual powers, how he ghosted in and out of his sisters’ room, silently patrolling the house and unable to sleep because it felt as if all his senses were muffled. On the worst nights, he would catch a glimpse of _green_ from the corner of his eye. Or even the flash of a cat’s reflective eyes. Not to mention the times he caught any number of his friends passing by his house in the wee hours of the morning.

Regardless of whatever the hell Goat-face did, Ichigo knew that Urahara-san felt responsible for him and that man wouldn’t hesitate to keep some kind of eye on him and his friends. Even though there were moments, now that his reiatsu had returned, that he could feel Urahara’s presence, most of the times it quickly faded.

He sighed quietly to himself in the dark, Old Man Zangetsu a silently comforting presence in his soul once more.

He would talk to Urahara tomorrow, definitely.

But for now, Ichigo would sleep.

 

* * *

In the darkness of Ichigo’s newly restored soul, golden eyes _burned_ with rage and pale lips pulled back in a snarl. Not a sound was made even as dark eyes looked on, a complicated and unidentified storm of emotion swirling in their depths, even as they looked on in seeming apathy.

 

* * *

Geta _clack_ ed from a rooftop across the street and green fabric rustled in the cool night wind.

Kisuke took a step back, tugging his hat down, gripping his cane even as he only lingered a moment before taking another step away. He repeated the motion until he came to the edge and scarcely hesitated before he leapt off, vanishing into the moonless night.

In the place he vanished from, a male voice spoke quietly and with some regret.

“Even with this, he cannot let go of his guilt.”

Amber eyes glinted and glanced over at the darkened apartment.

Inside, seven teenagers with scars and nightmares more fitting to those twice their age slept peacefully for perhaps some time.

Another sigh before a feline shape melts into the shadows and the night is still once more.

 

* * *

Early in the morning, sometime after he wakes and declares his intent to go see Urahara, Ichigo heads off to have a conversation that was long overdue. He left his body neatly tucked in on Orihime’s couch and departed in his soul form. Clad in familiar black shihakusho, even if there are changes, such as the neck guard, the dark bands that mimic tattoos on his body, Ichigo cannot help but feel confident as his reiatsu _thrums_ through his body and saturates the air around him. He is whole once more and no longer will he sit on the sidelines and idly let others force their own will, their opinions onto him. He will be helpless no longer.

Kami knows, that idiot is the first one he goes to after Uryuu, Chad, Orihime, Tatsuki, Mizuiro and Keigo are taken care of. He’s not been _blind_ , he knows exactly where Karin goes, knows precisely what she brings home and what Goat-face _doesn’t bother_ to do. Still, he’s only caught a few deliberate glimpses of the man over these long months. He’s seen Yoruichi-san a greater number of times.

Or rather, he’s seen a black cat lurking around his neighborhood. It could be Yoruichi, it could also be just a cat. Ichigo prefered to think it was Yoruichi.

He doesn’t want to know how long it took for Urahara to craft that blade, but he can’t help but think of what Rukia said, that he knelt before the captains and begged, for Ichigo’s sake. That jii-san had _agreed_ and added his _own_ reiatsu.

It’s proof they care. Regardless of their actions, or lack of actions, they _care._

Before he goes to see Rukia, Renji and all the others, before he goes to Seireitei to speak with jii-san, he goes to Urahara-san.

Goat-face probably laid the same ultimatum at his feet and whatever their history, he knows that Getaboushi has made promises to hold his tongue, to keep Isshin’s secrets and as much as that pissed him off, he’ll respect it. Urahara probably thought that Isshin would take _some_ kind of responsibility, and he wouldn’t keep their entire heritage and whatever was up with their mother a complete secret.

He crosses the boundary line and several presences immediately bloom in his senses. _Tessai-san, Ururu, Jinta and-_

Ichigo lands on the porch of the Urahara Shouten in a quiet rustle of cloth and a brief flare of reiatsu as a way to announce his presence.

He stands, waiting patiently, because just this once, he’s going to wait to be invited in. An entire minute ticks by before the doors slide open and he already knows it wasn’t going to be Getaboushi who opened them. Ururu peers up at him before the ghost of a smile stretches her lips.

Ichigo immediately bends down, giving her an answering smile.

“Hello, Ururu-chan. Can I come in?”

A hint of uncertainty crossed over her face before she pulls back the door all the the way.

“Please come in,” Ururu says, motioning towards the door that leads to the living quarters.

“Excuse my interruption,” Ichigo returns entirely out of habit before he strides farther in, refusing to hesitate when he spots Urahara sitting at the table, a full pot of tea and two cups set across from one another.

“Oi, Getaboushi, what the hell?”

A vague expression of startled confusion briefly touches the edges of his face, before he relaxes and a cheerful smile paints itself on the man’s features.

“Whatever are you talking about, Kurosaki-san? I’ve been here all day-”

“ _Urahara._ ”

A _click_ of teeth snapping shut. Urahara’s hand twitches for his fan before the shinigami forcibly stills himself. Ichigo stares in silence for a moment before heaving a sigh and throwing himself down. The tea is already poured in the cup, although it’s slightly cooled off. He took a sip.

Kisuke said nothing.

Ichigo was perfectly okay with waiting. He didn’t often show it, but he was capable of patience. Being the surrogate parent for two small twin girls had taught him that if nothing else. He wouldn’t be the one that started this conversation.

Eventually, Urahara would give in.

Moments passed in silence, and still Ichigo remained still, and silent, sipping at cooling tea as he waited.

And sure enough-

“I-” Urahara’s voice was soft, and cracked a bit as he paused. When he continued, it was steady, each word deliberate and clearly heard. “I owe you an apology, Kurosaki-san.”

Ichigo blinked slowly, the only sign of his surprise. He had not expected Urahara to open with that. Later, probably, but not _opening_ with an apology.

“I know-” another pause, a long, deepth inhale, before he resumed. “I know that doesn’t really make any of…” Urahara released his tea cup with his off hand, gesturing sharply with it, before he reclased the cup he had been sipping from in the silence. “...this, alright. It doesn’t make any of our- _my_ \- silence better, or excusable. And I know- I know your father forbid myself, and as I later discovered-” a flash of temper, of anger and protectiveness in sharp eyes “-your friends, from interacting with you. I thought... _at first_ I thought the space would be good for you. A chance to absorb, and reflect on your choices and actions. Not that anything was wrong with what you had done- it was the bravest thing I have ever seen- but just a chance to decide if you wanted anything at all to do with,” another gesture this time to the shop and himself “us, with Shinigami and supernatural. I thought it would be good for you to choose, so that anything to do with everything you had lost would not cause you undue stress.”

Urahara stared at his tea, before he deliberately set it down, the glass making a harsh clink on the wood.

“And then….” Urahara whispers like a secret, a _shame_ , “I realized you were _dying,_ Kuro _\- Ichigo._ I realized that the separation from your soul, from your very _self_ , was tearing you apart. You were….”

Urahara’s eyes snap up and _burn_ as they meet amber, shining with a fire and a _will_ that refused to be contained. “You were _fading_ , dying a slow death and I could _not_ allow it. I had been working on the sword before, taking time to check on you occasionally, checking in with your friends and making sure they didn’t bite off more than they could handle but-”

Kisuke shakes his head, a short, sharp gesture. “You were _dying_ , and it was _my fault_ , and suddenly I had a _time limit_ , and there wasn’t _enough time_ \- I shut myself in my lab. Dedicated all of my time and focus on this one thing that I could give you- that I could do for you. Hoped, _prayed_ , that I would be quick enough. Thorough enough. I let Yoruichi take over keeping an eye on all of you, and only paused when she came to get me, told me that you- or your friends- needed me.”

He breathes for a moment, lowering his eyes and then slipping backwards, sliding sideways, away from the table. He stills there for a moment, motionless, barely even breathing. Then, without hesitation, Urahara Kisuke closes his eyes and lowers himself until his forehead meets the floor, hat and fan absent from where he had set them on the table.

“I am so very, very sorry, Kurosaki Ichigo.”

Once before, this man has knelt in front of him and apologized. Ichigo hadn’t bothered to turn and acknowledge it, just brushing off his gesture before swiftly changing the subject and breaking the tension in the atmosphere.

This time, he cannot repeat his actions. There is too much between them, too many emotions for this to be brushed off as easily.

So Ichigo keeps calm and observes. He reaches forward, presses a hand to Urahara’s shoulder and nudges, pressing until Urahara sits up, slow and hesitant. The man doesn't raise his eyes to meet Ichigo’s and Ichigo is silent, as he stares at this man who has taught him everything he knows about the supernatural, about himself, this man who had looked at his suffering and then gone out and _created_ a way to save him where there was none...and he sighs.

“You saved my life,” Ichigo begins, his voice just as determined and steady as it had been in the face of a man who had considered himself a god, “So raise your head, Urahara Kisuke. And…. _thank you_.”

Ichigo reaches out with his reiatsu, in a way he had thought he would never be able to do again, pressing his gratitude and boundless joy into the man. Kisuke’s shoulders shake ever so slightly and while he does lift his head, it’s barely enough to meet Ichigo’s gaze.

“I...never thought I would be…. _whole_ again. Never thought I would have-”

Ichigo cuts himself off, a small pause before, in a moment of stillness and a show of trust, Old Man Zangetsu manifests at his side in a flare of black reiatsu. Kisuke startles back, the motion so small and swift, he almost missed it. But gray eyes are wide now so he continues.

“I never thought,” Ichigo repeats solemnly,” I would have him, or Shiro again.” By his side, Zangetsu bows his head and Ichigo allows himself a tired but heartfelt smile. “ _Thank you_ , Kisuke.”

Old Man fades back into his mindscape and Ichigo keeps his eyes on Urahara, ignoring the suspicious sheen to his eyes. “You went out, and you did the impossible, and I- I haven’t felt this _good_ in months, haven’t felt this…. _alive_.”

Ichigo reaches out and settles his hands on Kisuke’s shoulders.

“I made my choice. I _do not_ regret it. I couldn’t. I was the only one who could have stopped him, I know. It was an agony I didn’t quite expect, for all I knew what would happen, but- I would protect all of you with everything that I am, every time. I can’t bring myself to regret that. I refuse to.”

Kisuke blinks rapidly and Ichigo quirks a smile.

“So, now that that’s settled, I need to go to Soul Society later tomorrow. Can you set it up for me?”

Startled, Urahara blinked, to which Ichigo took as an affirmative and continued with a casual query-

“Also, have you been training Karin?”

There’s a pause before something about the shinigami eases and something of his usual personality returns. He sits back on his heels, letting Ichigo’s hands fall from his shoulders.

“I attempted to show her how to infuse things with different types of reiatsu, for one,” Kisuke says wryly, “But she already knew how to, so I asked if there was anything she wanted to know.”

The shopkeeper huffs a laugh.

“Karin-san asked for protections one could stick to walls, windows or doors that would put up a barrier which would keep things out.” Kisuke brightens up, his tone and inflections lilting with amusement. “It was an interesting idea and it took me only a couple weeks to put something like that together.”

Ichigo rolls his eyes and laughs.

“So _that_ what those were.” He doesn’t hesitate to explain to Getaboushi’s vaguely curious look. “She stuck those under our furniture and behind the pictures and in places only Yuzu would look. I only stumbled across one by accident, but I figured it was something along those lines.”

Ichigo smiles, the expression affectionate and soft.

He almost misses the look that washes over Urahara’s face. Almost.

He knows what it means. Goat-face is a shinigami, his powers are fully returned. He should be the one who stepped up to protect their household. But as far as Ichigo is aware, he’s the only one, besides his friends, who’s told Yuzu or Karin anything of importance. Isshin doesn’t treat the girls like Ichigo, so no surprise attacks, not moments of any _real_ seriousness.

Karin fully uses that to display her disgust and contempt for the man. It’s only grow since she’s found out something of the truth. Isshin walks away with bruises. On his bones.

Ichigo doesn’t blame her, but he’s been dealing with Goat-face’s bullshit for _years_ so he’s mostly just tired.

Here though, here is proof that Kisuke disapproves of what Isshin is doing. All the lies and the secrets that he pretends he doesn’t have. Those words Ichigo said, that day when Goat-face pushed him off a building in full Shinigami regalia, about how he wasn’t going to ask, wasn’t going to trample on Isshin’s feelings with his questions.

That was a pointed jab that Goat-face entirely missed. That jab that Isshin trampled on Ichigo’s feelings, on Karin and Yuzu without them ever knowing because he _kept this_ from them, and just watched as Ichigo struggled and _fought_ for his _life._ The only people he could turn to, were three other teenagers, two exiled Shinigami, along with Rukia and Renji.

So Ichigo sighed and turns back to his lukewarm tea. He opens his mouth, slowly closing it before he quietly murmured, scarcely loud enough for Kisuke to hear him.

“You’ve been more of a father to me then Isshin has,” Ichigo says, ignoring how Urahara jerks back in shock, sucking in a startled breath.

Silence falls between the two. He looks up, taking in Kisuke’s flabbergasted expression before looks away. He’s pretty sure his ears are burning, but...after all this, it’s something that needs to be said, something he _wants_ to say.

“Make of that what you will,” he continues with a bitter twist to his mouth. “I’m entirely aware that Goat-face hasn’t bothered to tell me anything worth a damn, never mind my sisters. Instead of ignoring the entire thing about my continued belief that my mother died because of _me_ , he could have mentioned Grand Fisher. He didn’t, but now that I have my power back, I’ll be heading to Hueco Mundo to go hunt him down-”

Kisuke’s reiatsu _wobbles._

Ichigo’s head jerks up and around and-

That’s fury hardening the lines on his face, his fists are clenched in his lap and- _and_ -

“Isshin slew Grand Fisher the same day Hirako Shinji approached you regarding your Hollow.”

Ichigo’s breath hitches. There’s a ringing in his ears, and for an instant that stretches like an eternity Ichigo doesn’t even _breathe._ Can’t breathe. It’s like his lungs are tightening, his throat is closing and there’s a lump lodged in the back of his throat. His eyes burn.

Kisuke’s eyes widen, and he darts forward, a blur of color, before hands are tightly gripping his shoulders, and then grey eyes are meeting wet, dazed amber. “Ichigo! _Breathe!_ ”

And-

And Ichigo _can’t_ . He literally cannot make his body inhale, what feels like chains tightening across his chest. Ichigo has never been...the _best_ at reiatsu control, but he’s gotten better at it. Especially now, so very aware of what had been missing before.

( _:Ichigo, calm yourself,_ **_Ichigo-_ ** _.:_ )

But here, in this moment, Ichigo has no ability to focus any of his attention on controlling the immense wild nature of his very soul. His control wavers, and Ichigo can feel those chains on his chest tightening, _crushing him_ **_why can’t he breathe-_ **

Kisuke’s eyes widen, and his hands tighten with bruising force on his shoulders, before his reiatsu _snaps_ , his voice turning sharp and _commanding_ in that way that Ichigo had never failed to respond to-

_(the kind of voice a father would use on his son, the kind of tone that every child will respond to without a conscious thought)_

“Kurosaki Ichigo, **_breathe._ ** ”

A gasping, ragged, agonized wheeze of an inhale answers him, and _oh_ , but Kisuke _seethes_.

Never again.

 _Never again_ will Kisuke allow Kurosaki Isshin- _Shiba_ Isshin- to dictate what he is to keep silent on or not, whether he is allowed to see this boy- man- based on stupidity and _ignorance_ . Isshin all but isolated a traumatized _child_ and left him floundering, without answers, without support and pretending _nothing was wrong._

Ichigo had claimed _him_ , calling _him_ a _father_ , and this... _this_ is the last straw, the last push Kisuke will allow with _any_ of the Kurosaki children. Karin, who believes protecting the family fell from _Ichigo_ to _her._ Karin, who struggles but does her best to keep her siblings and _Goat-face_ safe, because _Ichigo’s_ not around to do it. Because it’s _always been Ichigo_ protecting them.

Kisuke gently tugs the limp and edging towards hyperventilating, form of Ichigo into his chest, wrapping his arms around the teen- _god he’s still just a teen and so,_ **_so_ ** _young-_ close and whispering nonsense comfort to the one who has become so dear to him.

“Breathe with me now, come on Ichigo, in and out, easy, come on….in….out….” He places one of Ichigo’s fisted hands to his chest, gently uncurling his  fingers as he commands, soft but firmly, “Follow my breathing, with me now….in-” Kisuke inhales deeply, tugging on orange hair. “-and _out_.”

He exhales as he says the last word, using the breathing exercises to try and calm his own fury. He wraps his reiatsu around Ichigo, layered with furious, determined _protection_ , with safety, with comfort, with every bloody, deliberate assassin bone in his body, every song of _war-death-blood_ that will stand between this child and the rest of the world from this day forward, until Urahara Kisuke is no more, until his very soul is erased from the face of this earth, even if he had to step in front of the Soul King himself.

Kisuke swore it on _Benihime_ , on his own soul and self, on everything he had ever held precious and good and cherished in this world.

Ichigo takes a shuddering breath, still trembling in Kisuke’s hold and bites down the screaming rage that burns in his chest.

“Grand Fisher is dead?”

“He died screaming,” Kisuke immediately responds with.

Ichigo is silent.

A moment passes, then another. The body in Kisuke’s arm stops shaking and relaxes back. Urahara lets his student go easily enough, even if he keeps his eyes on him.

“I haven’t fought with a sword in over a year,” Ichigo says abruptly. “Except for last night.”

Kisuke only waits, patiently until Ichigo raises his head. When amber eyes blink, cleared of tears, he allows himself a smile. He flicks open his fan, settling his hat on his head and rises to his feet.

“Why, Ichigo-kun, do you think you could knock the hat from my head again?”

A ghost of a feral smirk touches on his face before Ichigo gathers his feet under him and stands.

“I think I could, if I try hard enough.”

* * *

 

 

Uryuu follows the muted signature of Ichigo’s reiatsu. The tide of vast warmth and the tinge of darkness he can feel is achingly familiar and something inside his chest unclenches. It’s been barely twenty-four hours since Ichigo’s powers have returned and already he finds himself reaching for it, before he even realizes that Ichigo is reaching back.

He only spent _weeks_ without his powers and the overwhelming emotions of anger, frustration, helplesses were constant companions.

Ichigo spent _months_ with a broken soul and no hope of getting his reiatsu back.

Uryuu doesn’t know if he would have handled it as well as Kurosaki did, but he would not deny the amount of respect he had for the substitute shinigami.

Still, a little over an hour ago, he had felt Ichigo’s reiatsu ripple from it's happy calmness, into something like anger and grief. When he followed the trace of Ichigo’s reiatsu, he found himself on Urahara’s front porch. Ichigo’s reiatsu had shifted during his journey, so he took his time walking instead of jumping from the rooftops and electricity poles. Ururu didn’t hesitate to invite him in and motion towards the entrance to Urahara’s underground training area.

There’s a teapot and two cups of cold tea on the table and allows himself to linger while Ururu fixes him tea. He doesn’t mind waiting until that note of grief in Kurosaki’s reiatsu is buried until the glee and the battlelust. It’s about been about an hour and a half when things begin to settle down.

So he drinks that last of his tea, thanks Ururu and heads for the entrance. When he lands at the bottom, he takes a moment to observe the ending of Ichigo’s spar with Urahara.

There’s joy on both of their faces, more obviously on Kurosaki’s, but it’s apparent they’re both enjoying themselves. Ichigo is sweating, there are some rips and tears in his shihakusho and there’s the barest traces of blood on his face.

Uryuu can’t recall seeing him so happy since before the war.

He appreciates it when Ichigo and Urahara wrap up their fight and when the substitute shinigami turns to him to with a blinding grin, a hand already raised in greeting.

“Yo, I-Uryuu!”

 _Ichigo_ , Ishida doesn’t say. Not yet.

But he nods his head and Kurosaki doesn’t look frustrated or irritated. He just swings Zangetsu on one shoulder is a move that is so painfully familiar that before he even realizes it, a smile rises to his lips.

Ichigo grins back, a touch of something feral in his expression.

Uryuu shifts his attention to the shinigami.

“Urahara-san,” Ishida says, dipping his head shallowly in acknowledgement.

“Ishida-kun. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

The Quincy only make a noncommittal sound of agreement before turning to Ichigo. The substitute looks questioning so Ishida plucks a random thought and voices it.

“Are you planning on explaining things to your sisters?”

Ichigo blinks, once, before his face momentarily clouds over. Uryuu’s not entirely sure what he found out, but considering it’s probably something to do with his family, he’ll leave it be.

“The whole Shinigami thing,” He clarifies, getsure absently to the side, “They came to us after Aizen and demanded answers. We did our best to be both informative and vague. They probably still have questions so if you want…?”

There’s a complicated expression on Ichigo’s face, before he takes a quick look at Urahara. His face settles into extremely familiar lines.

“Ah. They deserve to know the whole truth.”

Ishida doesn't react to that the entire layer of context that Ichigo just put on those last two words. It’s none of his business. He still has the promise Ryuuken dragged out of him, in exchange for returning his power, to consider. Still, Ichigo is half human, some odd percentage of Hollow. So he’s less Shinigami overall.

Loopholes he can exploit, if necessary. Ishida nods in acceptance of Ichigo's answer and turns to leave. It’s safer to only interact with Ichigo around the rest of their human friends. Much less risk for Ryuuken to find fault with something.

“ _Uryuu._ ”

He stops, shifting his shoulders to look back at Ichigo standing in the artificial sunlight, shinigami robes on his frame.

“Thank you.”

Truthfully, Uryuu has so much more to thank Ichigo for then for him to thank _Ishida._ He smiles, though. Because it’s _Ichigo._

“You too,” he says, before gathering his reiatsu underneath his feet and leaping into the air.

 

* * *

When Ichigo arrives home, after picking up his body from Orihime’s, he is relieved to find that Isshin is gone, while both Karin and Yuzu were present. He returns their greetings, their bright smiles and dips down to hug Yuzu and ruffles Karin’s hair as he passes.

He pauses in front of the dining room table, looking up into the blown up picture of his mother.

_Avenged._

After so many years. Finally, she can rest in peace.

The rage rises in his chest and he almost chokes, but he shoves it down. As Ishida- as Uryuu asked. He needs to tell his sisters the truth. All of it.

He pulls out a chair, the one at the head of the table and sits, deliberately.

“Karin, Yuzu, could you two come here?”

Karin steps out from the kitchen, worry on her face.

“Ichi-nii?”

“I have something to tell you,” Ichigo says solemnly.

The twins glance at each other, an entire conversation passing in the instant their eyes meet, and then they are striding forward. They join him together at the table, one twin on either side, their eyes worried and focused as they look up at him. Such trust they have in him.

He glances over at Yuzu, so much like their mother. She still calls Isshin ‘tou-san’. Still loves him, trusts him, believes in him. He’s going to shatter that trust and it’s going to hurt, but they deserve the truth.

Ichigo breathes, eyes flashing to the poster of their mother one last time.

 _Avenged_ , he thinks again and huffs. He supposed he should start there, start at the beginning, the night when Rukia walked through his wall.

 

* * *

Ichigo can barely bring himself to explain Isshin’s part in all this.

So he just tells the story without him, at first. He waits for Yuzu to comprehend what he’s saying, waits for her to realize all the things she’s been left out of in an effort to protect her.

But she’s a Kurosaki and she squares her shoulders and listens.

Karin takes it better, as she’s gotten quite a few details from Orihime, Chad and Uryuu. Not to mention Tatsuki. Still, there are things she doesn’t know, such as the Seireitei Invasion and the other side of Yuzu’s kidnapping from Hell. The Visoreds are explained in depth, including Ichigo’s status among them.

He doesn’t mention he hasn’t heard or seen Shiro since his powers have returned.

When he begins to wind down, summarizing the return of his reiatsu as a group effort from the Shinigami, he pauses. He can’t help that instinctual need to protect his sisters. This information will hurt them. For a moment, he wars with himself.

“Is,” Yuzu speaks up, hesitant, concerned, but resolved. “Is that all, Ichi-ni?”

“No,” he says, closing his eyes and controlling his breathing. “No, there’s- it’s about Mom.”

He rushes through the entire encounter with Grand Fisher, the first time by Masaki’s grave. How it was a Hollow that murdered their mother. That girl Ichigo saw. He didn’t block the memory because of trauma. The Hollow moved too fast for his eye to catch. It wasn’t his fault.

Karin takes it steadily, the barest glint of tears in her eyes. Yuzu doesn’t stifle her sobs and Ichigo reaches over to pull her into his embrace. It doesn’t take long before Karin controls herself and Yuzu’s tears dry. This time, it’s Karin who speaks up.

“There’s more, isn’t there?”

Slowly, haltingly, Ichigo explains their father is a Shinigami, that Grand Fisher died at his hands over two years ago. That Mom is avenged, that her soul can rest in peace, in Soul Society. He explains to a stone-faced Karin that the reason why Isshin lost his powers probably has something to do with their mother, that he hasn’t had any reiatsu until just a couple years ago and how, by now, his power should be completely recovered.

Karin, who stepped up in Ichigo’s place. Karin, who keeps in touch with Orihime and Tatsuki concerning the Hollows. Who placed tags with kido on them all over their house to prevent Hollows and spiritual beings from getting through. Who has worried herself over protecting her family against what Yuzu couldn’t see, all the while, Isshin was fully capable of doing so.

And said nothing.

Karin stands to her feet, shoving her chair back so hard it wobbles and almost falls over, before quietly leaving the house. Ichigo doesn’t stop her. He understands her rage and her grief well enough.

Yuzu- Yuzu looks shocked. She turns her gaze to him, eyes swimming in tears, heartbreaking painting itself onto her expression.

“I- I don’t understand?”

Her hands are clenched in his shirt, fingers shaking and Ichigo presses a kiss on the top of her head.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers in her hair. “It’ll be okay, Yuzu. I’m here, everything will be okay, I promise.”

 

* * *

Yuzu cries herself out. It’s late in the afternoon, a bit early to go to bed, but Ichigo suspects he’ll have to call in sick for the both of them tomorrow. Either that or drop off a doctor’s note at their school. He knows where Goat-face keeps his official paperwork.

He carries his youngest sister upstairs, gently tucking her into the covers and places a hand on her forehead. Her eyes are red and puffy, but she shouldn’t get sick from this, so Ichigo tries not to worry. He bends down to softly kiss her goodnight, whispering his love to her before he heads back downstairs.

He reheats some leftovers and settles in for the night. He’s tired, but he doesn’t think he’ll manage sleeping tonight. Ichigo makes sure to text everyone that something came up and he’ll probably be in tonight and tomorrow he might not be in school.

 _Family troubles,_ he writes, _something came up and Karin and Yuzu took it hard._

Everyone replies with concern, asking if he needs help, if there’s anything they can do. Ichigo declines and sends a quick _good night_ . He pauses for a second, looking over the text messages before he realizes that Ishida- that _Uryuu_ was the only one who didn’t respond.

He puts his phone away and takes a moment to stretch out his senses. It’s been a while, but he manages to reach out towards that very _Quincy_ feeling and-

Ichigo’s eyes slid shut in concentration, but they flew up and he makes a aggravated noise before reaching for his combat pass. Or rather, the piece of wood that monitors him and allows his soul to slip from his body. He throws his body on the couch and heads for the front door.

Karin shouldn’t be far away, just a block or two so he sweeps his reiatsu _out_ and _pings_ against her presence easily enough. He can feel her startle before her reiatsu signature rapidly begins to move closer. It only take a minute, before his sister runs up to him.

“There’s something going on with Ishida, watch over Yuzu, I’ll be back as soon as I can,” Ichigo quickly summarizes, pausing a moment to hug her tightly. “I’m proud of you, Karin.”

He doesn’t linger for her reaction, vanishing in a single step onto the rooftops. It’s easily to follow where Uryuu’s reiatsu is coming from, easier still to make his way across Karakura. He’s a bit more worried, when the high rise building that is the hospital is where Uryuu’s reiatsu is coming from.

He’s entirely aware that Ryuuken is the same kind of father as Isshin, save for the fact that Uryuu is aware he’s a Quincy.

Still, he stops several feet from the building, hanging in the air and taking in Ishida’s reiatsu.

He’s angry, frustrated and determined. There’s a bitterness that’s buried somewhere in all that, but Ichigo tries to ignore that. He throws himself forward, flash stepping into an open balcony door and through the halls until he reaches an office with _Dr. R. Ishida_ printed in neat script on it.

There is no hiding his reiatsu, especially in this form, so he waits for Uryuu to open the door. Which is about five seconds after his feet touch the ground. When the door swings back and Ichigo gets a good look at Uryuu, he purposely doesn’t comment on his tousled hair and untidy appearance.

Ishida Ryuuken stands impassively behind his desk, dressed in white and pale blue. He looks intimidating, imposing and Ichigo has heard Uryuu’s muttered curses towards Ryuuken hiding his Quincy training from his son during the Hueco Mundo invasion.

Ichigo still hasn’t forgiven the man for attempted murder, so when the elder Quincy’s eyes shift to meet his, he draws on his Hollow reiatsu to give his _shinigami-ness_ a murderous edge and _bares his teeth._

“You must be Ryuuken,” Ichigo says.

Not _Uryuu’s father,_ but exactly what his friend calls him. Granted, they briefly met during that incident in which Ginjo almost cut him in half, but that was just in passing. Regardless, Ichigo dismisses him. Uryuu’s told him to be careful when he swings his Black _Getsuga Tensho_ s around, as Hollows, thus Hollow reiatsu, was poison to a Quincy.

“You coming?” Ichigo asks mildly, watching as comprehension washes away that little bit of confusion in Uryuu’s expression.

“You said Karin and Yuzu didn’t…?”

Uryuu’s voice trails off, but Ichigo notices _exactly_ how Ryuuken’s attention turns to his son when he mentions Ichigo’s sisters. Which, _interesting_ . But, _Ichigo’s sisters._

“Yuzu’s in bed, Karin’s watching her,” he explains, shifting his body to put his back to Ryuuken and allow Uryuu space to pass him. “I’ll explain the rest when we get there.”

Ryuuken moves, making as if to insert himself in their conversation, but Ichigo only grips Uryuu’s shoulder and uses the shunpo the Goddess of Flash herself trained him in. He vanishes as fast as he’s able, there and gone again in less than a blink. Neither of them hear a word Ryuuken said.

He stops about three block away several seconds later, releasing Uryuu from his grip.

“You okay?”

Glasses glint in the pale light of the moon and Ichigo only watches as Ishida takes several deep breaths.

“Which one of them do you think is better?” Uryuu asks and Ichigo knows immediately what he means. “The man who didn’t keep the secret of my heritage, yet when he shot me in the chest, I honestly thought he killed me, with only frustration and resignation? Or the man who proclaimed his love and showered his affections on all of you, but lied every single day?”

“Why does one of them have to be better?” Ichigo counters, sending Uryuu a _look._ “They’re both fucking bastards and I might end up killing one or the other someday.”

Uryuu blinked, taken aback, before realization washed over his face.

“Isshin-?”

“Killed Grand Fisher over two years ago and decided that wasn’t something I should have been told.”

The venom in Ichigo’s tone rings with the undercurrent of _Hollow_ and Uryuu almost flinches away, but it’s _Kurosaki_ , so he stays put. He keeps quiet, only looking at his profile in the weak moonlight. Eventually, he continues.

“I told Karin and Yuzu everything. Everything was fine, until I told them what Isshin kept from us.”

Silence between the two, a moment in which the wind rustles the trees and windchimes and they stand there, side by side, understanding that hurts that make up their childhood and continue this far into their lives.

“Come on, if you’re hungry we have leftovers and Isshin isn’t home.”

Uryuu makes an agreeing noise and doesn’t hesitate to follow after the substitute shinigami, his robes blending into the night sky and Ishida’s white clothes standing out.

He huffs a laugh.

“Shinigami.”

“Quincy.”

Ishida pauses a moment, before he says, quietly, and perhaps tinged with fond exasperation.

“ _Ichigo.”_

He can see him smile, then leap ahead, calling back-

“Hurry up, _Uryuu!_ ”

 

* * *

To his surprise, when he walks through the front door, Karin and Yuzu are sitting on the couch, mugs of something hot and steaming cradled in their hands.

Karin stands up first, while Yuzu reaches for the remote, pausing a movie playing on the television. From the sentinet fire with a face, he’s going to go with Howl’s Moving Castle, one of Yuzu’s favorite movies.

“Ichi-nii!”

Ichigo smiles, watching Karin’s expression carefully, Her reiatsu is calmer, but he can feel how close her anger is. He suspects she’ll take advantage of the fact that Isshin doesn’t resist or dodge her fists or feet to beat him then next time he shows his face. Apparently, she can read that line of thinking on his face and a vicious grin stretches her lips.

Ichigo takes a step back, waving a hand at Ishida.

“You know Uryuu? He’s staying over tonight,” he explains at Yuzu’s questioning look behind her sister.

Ishida bows.

“I’m sorry for the interruption, thank you for your hospitality, Kurosaki-san.”

Yuzu rushes closer, ever the gracious host, waving her hands back and forth in denial.

“No, no, you’re a friend of Ichi-nii’s and you helped! You’re always welcome here!”

Ichigo smiles as Uryuu’s cheeks turn the faintest bit of red and outright laughs when Yuzu blinks prettily at him, puzzled by his awkward reaction. He goes to lead the Quincy upstairs, maybe find something for him to change out of his very Quincy themed clothes. He stops though.

Because he’s still looking at Yuzu and there’s an expression on her face he can’t make out as his sisters stares at Uryuu.

“Yuzu?”

She doesn’t answer, only steps closer to Ishida, who’s beginning to look somewhat concerned.

“Do you…” Yuzu’s voice trails off before she repeats her question. “Do you have a silver bracelet with that cross hanging from it?”

Ishida blinks, looking down at the Quincy Cross prominently displayed on the right side of his chest. He lifts up his wrist, allowing the silver charm to shine in the light. Yuzu inhales deeply, rapidly blinking as tears rise in her eyes.

Ichigo has a bad feeling about this.

“Mom had one of those,” Yuzu says, _impossibly_ says. “She said it would be mine someday, that Karin would get one too, but when she- when she died, and I asked Dad for it, he said-”

Yuzu pauses as everyone stands in silence before her, in the wake of her words.

“He said to forget about it, and hid it away somewhere. I could never find it, no matter how hard I tried,” she explains, tentatively reaching out the gently touch the Cross hanging from Uryuu’s bracelet. “There were three of them, in Mom’s jewelry box. One for each of us, she said. But I never saw them after- _after._ ”

There’s a glint of Quincy blue reiatsu that follows Yuzu’s fingers when she draws them back. Only a thin strand. Barely enough to be seen. But going from the noise that Uryuu makes, Ichigo’s going to assume that all saw it.

Quincy. Their mother was a _Quincy._

Uryuu bursts into hysterical laughter. He doubles over, clutching at his stomach and _shakes_ with mirth. Ichigo barks out his own laugh because _Quincy._

He’s human, he’s shinigami, he’s Hollow, he’s _Quincy._

Uryuu straightens and smiles at Ichigo, viciously smug and entirely satisfied.

“Do you know what this means?” he asks gleefully, glasses shining.

“We’re family, possibly cousins, which means Karin and Yuzu could probably learn how to shoot arrows if they wanted.”

The malicious edges of Uryuu’s expression eased into happiness.

“ _Yes_ , it means you’re family and I could train your sisters as Quincies if they asked, but _also_ ,” He continued, returning to vicious satisfaction, “This means that you don’t fall under the Shinigami I must stay away from. Because, you’re _human,_ _Hollow_ and _Quincy._ You’re family and I can do as I please, while keeping my promise.”

Ichigo grins, brilliant and warm.

“Great! Let me just tell the others…”

He pulls out his cellphone and watches as Uryuu blinks, settling into something a bit overwhelmed. He turns to look at Karin, at Yuzu and takes in a sharp breath.

“ _Family._ Family that isn’t Ryuuken,” he murmurs, eyes traces over the features of the two teenagers.

Karin nodded in agreement from behind Yuzu.

“Family from _Mom’s_ side of the tree. Nice to meet you, Uryuu-nii.”

Ichigo can easily hear the hitch in the Quincy’s breath, but he doesn’t comment on his, nor does he switch his focus from the screen of his phone. Ishida is already pulling off his Cross and handing it reverently to Yuzu. He can hear the familiar tones Uryuu uses to teach and he carefully calms himself.

Another one of Isshin’s lies. Something else he didn’t think necessary to tell them.

He doesn’t want to think about his mother.

“Well, I guess Uryuu can watch you two tomorrow,” Ichigo interrupts a minute later, snapping his phone close.

Karin’s head jerks around. “ _What?_ ”

“I’ve got business in Soul Society. It shouldn’t take too long, but I’ll be gone for a couple of hours. Uryuu can see if the Cross works with either of you and then we can go looking for Mom’s other Crosses.”

Ichigo walked over to the couch and retrieved his body.

“In the meantime, I’m going to change and we can finish the movie before bed. Uryuu, I have some clothes you can wear for tonight.”

Uryuu hesitated, but he easily followed his new found relation up to his room. Ichigo dug through his closet and presented him with pajamas that looked to be somewhere in his size range.

“Ichigo, your mother-”

“Considering Isshin is a Shinigami,” he interrupted quietly, “I can assume that ‘ _Kurosaki’_ was Mom’s maiden name and Ryuuken is entirely aware of our relation. They likely knew one another, if not outright related. I can imagine that Isshin is familiar with Ryuuken, at the very least.”

Uryuu closed his eyes, struggling with himself.

“Leave it for tonight. I have someone in Soul Society I can ask about Isshin. I’ll only be gone a couple hours so we can deal with this tomorrow.”

Ishida nodded, choosing not to speak, before retreating to the bathroom to change. When he was finished, he headed downstairs to watch a movie with his new found relations. He was quietly happy for this chance meeting, for Yuzu recognizing a Quincy’s Cross.

This was the one thing that ensured his promise to stay away from Shinigami would never apply to Ichigo.

The Kurosakis’, with the exception of Isshin, were people he was proud to call family.

 

* * *

**Group Chat** **  
** **In the Know** **  
** **(seven members)**

**Ichigo:**

_As it turns out, Goat-face killed Grand Fisher over two years ago. And my mother was a Quincy. Apparently Uryuu and I are related._ _  
_ _btw, going to SS tomorrow to talk to Jii-san, so I’ll be out of contact for a couple hours._

 **Tatsuki:** **_  
_ ** **_wtf, ichigo??_ **

**Orihime:** **  
** **_Congratulations, Ichigo-kun! Uryuu-kun!_ **

 

* * *

In Urahara’s basement, Ichigo stepped out of his human body and breathed deep. He appreciated the deeply pleased expression that was just barely visible under Kisuke’s customary hat. He had decided against informing the man of his new found information concerning his mother. Regardless, he gave his own thanks before Urahara powered up the gateway.

He didn’t hesitate to break into a sprint and he vanished through the archway, Kisuke’s cheerful farewells falling silent behind him.

Ichigo wasn’t surprised when the Dangai’s walls began to writhe and contract and the faint light of the Kototsu began to shine through the darkness. Truly, he wasn’t surprised. Almost two years since Aizen destroyed it, and somehow it magically reconstructed itself and _today_ was _that day._ In all of the times he had travelled to Soul Society, he ended up running from the Kototsu more often than not. He couldn’t help the annoyance that welled up and the irritated noise that escaped gritted teeth, but he increased his speed with a burst of reiatsu.

However, that turned out to be a mistake.

The walls sprouted arms and _reached-_

Vicious and harsh curses filled his head as his Hollow’s mask materialized over his face and in the silence before impact, Ichigo couldn’t help the surge of confusion. Since Rukia returned his powers, his Hollow had been eerily silent, absent from his inner world and a part of him continued to mourn the loss, even if he could still draw on the Hollow reiatsu. Zangetsu was increasingly cryptic and… _guilty_ was a word that came to mind.

 _Regretful_ was another.

Ichigo wasn’t entirely sure how to address that. He hadn’t had the time considering things with Isshin and his Mom.

Still, at the proof that his Hollow had been returned with all of his power, Ichigo felt something inside him _relax._ But he had only a moment for _relief_ before his sword was pulled almost entirely out of his grip and the appendages that shot through the opening with a ring of _reiatsu_ were aiming at vulnerable spots. He yelled, pulling as as much reiatsu as he could in an effort to _dodge_ -

Space contorted and darkness enclosed over his vision as his reiatsu spiraled out of his body in a flood and _away-_

 _:Shit!_ **_Aibo-_ ** _!:_


End file.
